PODCASTS/AUDIOBOOKS
Things Fell Apart BBC Sounds, review by Yvette Huddleston
Investigative journalist Jon Ronson returns for a second series of his exploration of the origins of our current culture wars. It is a fascinating, if sometimes disturbing, listen. This time he is looking specifically at some of the stories and conspiracy theories that surfaced during the 2020 Covid-19 lockdowns. They include the story of how a chance encounter at a yacht club in the early 2000s between a barman and the wealthy parents of a young woman with a mystery illness created the first big Covid conspiracy theory, how a bestselling book about trauma fed into the free speech culture war and how an idea for affordable accommodation, plans for bus lanes and a car rental thought experiment led to three people becoming hate figures.
The Queen’s Reading Room Various platforms, review by Yvette Huddleston
Launched in 2021 by the former Duchess of Cornwall, the Queen’s Reading Room is a charity working to celebrate and promote the power and benefits of reading. The book club rapidly grew into a global online community with Camilla sharing her insights and conversations with authors selected by her. This new podcast series from the charity welcomes an impressive line-up of authors who discuss their love of literature. In the opening episode we hear from awardwinning crime writer Ian Rankin who talks about how reading Jilly Cooper cheers him up, discusses his early memories of reading Dandy and Beano comics and where he gets his inspiration from as a writer. Camilla also shares her own thoughts on some classic novels that she enjoys.
Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley BBC Sounds, review by Yvette Huddleston
In the latest series of her hit historical truecrime podcast, historian and broadcaster Lucy Worsley is joined by a team of female detectives to investigate the ordinary lives and extraordinary crimes of women in the past, seen through a contemporary feminist lens. Each episode focuses on a true story that sees Worsley take a close look at the crime, how it was perceived at the time and makes comparisons with what happens today. In the opening episode she looks at the case of Maria Manning, dubbed the ‘Lady Macbeth of Bermondsey’. With the help of guest detective author Kate Mosse, Worsley tries to unpick a complex tale of double-crossing lovers and violence and together they try to uncover the murderer’s true motivations.
Discover Your Inner Astronaut Audible, review by Yvette Huddleston
Audible have just launched this new eightpart podcast – Discover Your Inner Astronaut: An Astronaut’s Guide to a Better Life on Earth. Hosted by Helen Sharman, who in 1991 became the first British astronaut to go into space, and veteran NASA astronaut Nicole Stott who spent over 100 days in space, the series aims to answer listeners’ questions about space. It also seeks to offer some guidance on how we can modify our approach to life on Earth, thanks to the hosts’ unique insight as they discuss lessons they have learnt from their experiences in space. The two women share some of their favourite stories and speak to other fellow space travellers including retired astronauts Cady Coleman and Mike Foale and working astronaut Luca Parmitano.